Think about this next time you shake someone's hand, grab a door knob, or use an office phone; a just released study conducted by Michigan State suggests that there are a lot of germ spreading hands out there!

The new study, in which Michigan State observed 3,749 people in public restrooms, revealed some information that might have you using latex gloves from now on!

Research was conducted by watching people's behaviors in the restrooms of bars, restaurants and other public places. They found that after using the restroom, only 5% of folks washed their hands long enough to kill germs that could cause infections. Do the math...that leaves 95% of us leaving a bathroom with still dirty hands! The study also revealed that 33% didn't use soap and 10% didn't wash at all.

Specifics of the study also reveal that men have poorer bathroom habits than women. 15% of men didn't wash at all, compared with 7% for women. Only 50% of men used soap. People are more likely to have better washing habits early in the day, and if there is a posted sign reminding them to wash before leaving the bathroom. People are less likely to wash in a dirty sink.

 

 

The CDC reminds us  that 20 seconds of vigorous  hand washing with soap is the single most effective thing that can be done to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, but the Michigan State study found that on average, people spend only six seconds doing so.

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